Exposure stage device

Abstract: An exposure device for sucking photosensitive materials of different widths on an exposure table. A suction belt, driven by a motor, is formed with a plurality of suction holes uniformly. On the back of the suction belt is mounted a suction box with a belt support plate which is formed with a plurality of suction holes. A pair of adjusting plates are attached to the belt support plate on its back. By adjusting the position of the adjusting plates in a width direction, the suction holes in the outermost rows at both sides are opened and closed. Thus, the suction width for the suction belt can be adjusted according to the width of the photosensitive material.

Description: This invention relates to an exposure device of the type as defined in the preamble of claim 1, used to print/expose a negative image on a negative film on a photosensitive material. An exposure device of the above mentioned type is known from GB-A-1358337, and is shown in Fig. 5. In this exposure device, a photosensitive material P drawn from a roll R is cut to a predetermined size by a cutter device 30. The photosensitive material P1, which is now cut off, is supported on an exposure table 20. A negative film F is illuminated by a light source 21 to print/expose the negative image thereon on the photosensitive material P1 through a printing lens 22. As shown in Fig. 6, the exposure table 20 in the exposure device comprises a motor 23, an endless suction belt 24 driven by the motor 23 and formed with a plurality of suction holes 25, a suction box 26 having a support plate 27 formed with a plurality of suction holes 28, which are communicable with the suction holes 25 of the suction belt 24, and a blower 29 for sucking the interior of the suction box 26. The photosensitive material P1 is sucked and kept in its position by a suction force applied through the suction holes 28 and the suction holes 25 until it is fed to the exposure stage to be printed and exposed. Furthermore, the photosensitive material P1 after printed and exposed is fed from the exposure table 20 to a developing unit (not shown) by the movement of the suction belt 24. In such a conventional exposure device, the suction force is applied through all the suction holes 25 of the suction belt face 24a regardless of the width of the photosensitive material P1. If it has a small width, so many suction holes 25 are open that the air is also sucked into the suction box 26 through the suction holes 25. Thus, the suction force per unit surface area of the photosensitive material P1 becomes so weak that it is not sucked enough and gets afloat. This will cause a problem of fuzziness. If the suction force is set based on the smallest width of the photosensitive material P1 to solve this problem, it is necessary to provide a blower 29 of an extremely large capacity, resulting another problem of noise. Moreover, the suction belt 24 has a larger transfer resistance, which will increase the size of the motor 23 as well as the cost. EP-A-152 548 discloses an apparatus for automatically fixing a film material onto a suction plate. The apparatus includes drive rolls for feeding a film material along the cover plate of a suction box, which is provided with holes to form the suction plate. On each side of the suction plate, a masking blind is respectively arranged. The masking blinds of both sides can be moved on top of the film material towards and away from each other, thus determining the width of the exposed portion of the film material transverse to its feeding direction. Besides this masking function, the blinds are described to also cover lateral suction holes of the suction plate which are not used for holding the film material. This function, however, can only be performed simultaneously with the masking function. Moreover, sheet members are provided on the downstream side of the suction plate for pressing the blinds against the surface of the suction plate for closing the space therebetween caused by the thickness of the film material. Corresponding members on the upstream side of the cover plate, however, are not provided, so that a space for losing suction energy remains. It is an object to provide an exposure device which obviates the aforementioned problems and which makes it possible to reduce the size of the blower and the motor. To meet this demand, there is provided an exposure device having the features of claim 1. In the exposure device according to the present invention, since the suction width of the suction belt is adjustable according to the width of the photosensitive material, it can be sucked and fed while keeping the adjusted state. Thus, even if the suction force is set based on the photosensitive material having a largest width, the photosensitive material of a smallest width can be sucked reliably. In other words, a photosensitive material of any kind can be sucked stably. Moreover, since the suction force can be set based on the photosensitive material having a largest width, a blower and a motor for feeding the suction belt of a small size may be used. Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of one embodiment of the exposure table according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along II - II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along III - III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing how the suction width is adjusted; Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the exposure device; and Fig. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a prior art exposure table. An exposure table 1 comprises an endless suction belt 3 driven by a motor 2, and a suction box 4 for supporting a suction belt 3a at its carrier side. The suction belt 3 is formed with a plurality of suction holes 5 spaced apart predetermined intervals with one another in its feed direction. They are provided in a plurality of rows in a width direction of the suction belt 3. In the embodiment, the suction holes 5 are provided in seven rows. The suction box 4 has a belt support plate 6 for supporting the suction belt 3a at the carrier side. The belt support plate 6 is formed with a plurality of suction holes 7 spaced apart predetermined intervals with one another in a feed direction. They are provided in a plurality of rows in a width direction of the suction belt 3. The interval between the rows of the suction holes 7 in the belt support plate 6 is the same as that of the suction holes 5 in the suction belt 3 so that the rows of the suction holes 5 and 7 are aligned with each other. Further, the suction holes 7 are elongated in a feed direction of the suction belt 3. Thus, even while the suction belt 3 is being fed, any of the plurality of suction holes 5 formed in the suction belt 3 will communicate with one of the suction holes 7. A blower 8 is connected to the suction box 4 to suck the interior of the suction box 4. A pair of adjusting plates 9a and 9b in the form of strips are attached to both sides of the belt support plate 6 from its back. Their width W1 is larger than the interval W2 between the adjacent rows of the suction holes 7. At the center of the adjusting plates 9a and 9b are formed a plurality of elongated holes 10 spaced apart predetermined intervals with one another in their longitudinal direction. By moving the adjusting plates 9a and 9b in a width direction, the elongated holes 10 will be aligned with the suction holes 7. The adjusting plates 9a and 9b are coupled to each other by a link 11. To the adjusting plate 9a is mounted a contact element 12 which slidably extends through a side plate of the suction box 4 and is kept into contact with a cam 14 driven by a motor 13. Springs 15 are coupled to the other adjusting plate 9b. The contact element 12 is urged against the cam 14 by the bias of the spring 15. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the elongated holes 10 formed in the adjusting plates 9a and 9b and are not in alignment with the suction holes 7 in the belt support plate 6. In this state, the suction holes 7 in the outermost two rows on both sides are closed by the adjusting plates 9a and 9b. Therefore, if the blower 8 is activated, the suction force will be applied to the suction holes 7 in the central three rows, and thus only to the suction holes 5 which communicate with these suction holes 7. A1 in Fig. 3 shows the suction width when the adjusting plates 9a and 9b close the suction holes 7 in the outermost two rows at both sides. From this state shown in Fig. 3, the cam 14 is driven by the motor 13 to move the adjusting plates 9a and 9b in a width direction of the belt support plate 6. The motor 13 is stopped as soon as the elongated holes 10 of the adjusting plates 9a and 9b have come into alignment with the suction holes 7 of the belt support plate 6. As shown in Fig. 4, all the suction holes 7 are now open, so that the suction force is applied through the suction holes 5 communicating with the suction holes 7. A2 shows the suction width in this state. By moving the adjusting plates 9a and 9b widthwise, the suction width acting on the suction belt 3a at the carrier side can be adjusted in two steps. Thus, by adjusting the suction width according to the width of the photosensitive material P1 fed by the suction belt 3, the photosensitive material P1 of different widths can be sucked stably.

Claims: An exposure stage device (1) for feeding and positioning a photosensitive material (P 1 ) with respect to an exposure station, said device (1) comprising a suction belt (3) formed with a plurality of suction holes (5) for feeding said photosensitive material, an exposure table having a belt support plate (6) for supporting said suction belt (3) at its carrier side, and a suction box (4), said belt support plate (6) being formed with a plurality of suction holes (7) for imparting a suction force onto said photosensitive material via said suction holes (5) of said suction belt (3), characterized in that an adjusting means for adjusting the suction width (A 1 , A 2 ) transverse to said feeding direction of said suction belt (3) is further provided, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting plate (9a;9b) mounted on said belt support plate (6) on the side thereof facing said suction box (4), and a driving means (12,13,14) for moving said adjusting plate (9a;9b) in a width direction of said belt support plate (6) for opening and closing suction holes (7) formed in said belt support plate (6). The device of claim 1, wherein said suction holes (7) of said belt support plate (6) are arranged in a plurality of rows, each of said rows extending in the feeding direction of said suction belt (3), said rows being spaced by intervals (W 2 ) in the width-wise direction, and said adjusting plate (9a,9b) includes a plurality of suction holes (10) also arranged in a row extending in the feeding direction of said suction belt (3), the adjusting plate being movable so as to bring said row of suction holes (10) of said adjusting plate (9a,9b) into alignment with one row of suction holes (7) of said support plate (6). The device of claim 2, wherein the width (W 1 ) of said adjusting plate (9a,9b) is greater than said interval (W 2 ) between adjacent rows of suction holes (7) in said belt support plate (6). The device of claim 2 or 3, wherein said row of suction holes (10) of said adjusting plate (9a,9b) is arranged in the center of said adjusting plate (9a,9b). The device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said driving means (12,13,14) includes a contact element (12) connected to said adjusting plate (9a,9b) and a cam (14) driven by a motor (13) and contacting said contact element (12) for moving said adjusting plate (9a,9b) along said width direction of said belt support plate (6). The device of claim 5, wherein a spring (15) is provided to urge the contact element (12) into contact with said cam (14). The device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said suction holes (7) of said belt support plate (6) are elongated in shape in the feeding direction of said suction belt (3), and said suction belt (3) also includes suction holes (5) provided in a plurality of rows. The device of any one of claims 1 to 7, including a first and a second adjusting plate (9a,9b) attached to both sides of the belt support plate (6), respectively. The device of claim 8, wherein said first and said second adjusting plates (9a,9b) are coupled to one another by a link (11) and moved simultaneously by said driving means (12,13,14). The device of claim 9 as appendant to claim 2, wherein the distance between said row of suction holes (10) of said first adjusting plate (9a) and said row of suction holes (10) of said second adjusting plate (9b) is equal to the distance between an outermost row of suction holes (7) at one margin of said belt support plate (6) and a second-to-outermost row of suction holes (7) at the opposite margin of said belt support plate (6) when viewed in width-wise direction of said belt support plate (6) .

Inventors: TSUJI MASAAKI, TSUJI, MASAAKI, TSUJI, MASAAKI, C/O NORITSU KOKI CO., LTD.
Applicants: NORITSU KOKI CO LTD, NORITSU KOKI CO., LTD.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G03B27
IPC codes: G03B27